Machine for cleaning vessels, particularly bottles



Nov. 9, 1937. STEGEMANN 2,098,526

MACHINE vFOR CLEANING VESSELS, PARTICULARLY BOTTLES Filed Oct.'7,. 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 NOV. 9, 1937. STEGEMANN 2,098,526

MACHINE FOR CLEANING VESSELS, PARTICULARLYfiOTTLES Filed Oct. '7, 1936 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. STEGEMANN 2,098,526

Filed Oct. 7, 1936 3.Sheets-Sheet 3 Y i .II-EIIE Nov. 9, 1937.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING VES SELS, PARTICULARLY BOTTLES Patented Nov. 9, 1937 l UNITED sTATEs MACHINE ron CLEANING VESSELS, PAR- rrcumnm BOTTLES Friedrich Stegcmann, Bad Kreumach, Germany, asslgnor to ,Scitz-Werke G. in, b. R, Bad Kreuznach Germany, a corporation Application IClalnis.

This inventionrelates to machines for cleaning vessels of all kinds and particularly 'for cleaning bottles. This application. is a continuationin-part of my application Serial No. 682,508,filed July 27, 1933. Machines of this kind are known which comprise-a number of consecutive containchain, or guide wheels are used which pick up the baskets and transfer them from one to the other so that in this way the baskets togetherwith the vessels to be cleaned are passed through the liquids.

V In the last-mentioned arrangement, however, a series of intermediate levers are employed by means otf which the individual baskets are directedi'rom one guide wheel to the next. The arrangement of such intermediate levers is, how- .ever, inconvenient and also expensive and ireg5 quently involves a. failure of the apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention, the baskets which contain the vessels tobe cleaned are provided with upper and lower pairs oi proiectionsat their ends,both of which pairs of projections engage in corresponding recessesin the guide wheels, particularly duringtransfer from one pair 01 wheels to another. This results in a wholly positive movement of the baskets through the'machine, in contrastto previously known constructions. wherein the baskets were f at times suspended from 'a single pair of basket projections and were consequently. exposed to vibrations. and shocks which were ti'ansmitted throughout the entire machine. It also makes it possible to avoid theintermediate levers of known machines, which levers are uncertain in 'operation and involve shocks. a

. Inthe accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment-oi the" invention, Fig. 1- is a dia- 'grammatic longitudinal sectional view of the ppar s;

.Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 11-11 of Fig. 1 with one side omitted;-

Fig. 3 is a plan viewer the machine in section on the lineIlI-JII of-Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view partly 'omitted. In the embodiment of the invention shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the invention is applied to-a cleaning machine 65-comprising two containers l and'2. Naturally Climber r, 1936, Serial No. 104,565 InGer many Jilly 5,1933

the arrangement may be such that more than two containers are arranged in sequence and-the baskets are passed throughthem one after the other. In the embodiment shown the preliminary 5 steeping container I and the main steeping container 2 'hre both filled with cleaning liquid up to the levels 3 and l. The vessels to be cleaned, for instance, bottles, are inserted in baskets 5 which are provided with two pairs of lateral pro- 10 jections 6 and I, the projections 6 being arranged at the upper tapered ends of the baskets where the mouths of the vessels are disposed, whereas the projections i are at the lower parts of the baskets.

In the preliminary steeping container are arranged a pair of guide wheels 9 which are rotatable about the shaft 8 and are driven in the direction of the arrow by means of gear wheels 46 or other suitable driving device. On 20 their peripheries the guidewheels 9 have recesses I 0 in which the projections 6 and] of the individual baskets 5 can engage. Arranged lat-' erally of each guide wheel 9 is a fixed guide bar.

. H, and also a further fixed guide bar I 2 which 25 at its lower portion is. curved up at an angle as. at IS. A further pair of fixed bars M are ar ranged laterally and extend upwardly at the forward portion of the guide wheels] 9 and which cause the transfer of the baskets to'the next 30- =pair' of guide wheels I 5 which are arranged to rotateabout. the shaft I6 in themain steeping container 2. r 1 These guide wheels l5 rotate in the directionof projections .l of the baskets 5 engage the 4 recesses l8 whereas the upper pair of projections 6 are engaged by the oblique poi'tions 20. Disposed laterally of and between wheels Sisa pair of fixed guide bars 22, which are pro-- vided with deep-recesses'2i and have downward to extensions 23 terminating in hooks. A pair of fixed guide bars 24 is also provided adjacent the 'wheels l5.-

. Upon leaving the wheels l5 and guides .22, and

24 the basketsthen travel along a pair of rails shown by the arrow and have von their perlphg5 eries segmentaryportions I! which are con- 26 which. extend approximately horizontally. in the main steeping container 2 and are provided at their forward ends with pawl-like structures 26 guiding the baskets to a pair of fixed bars 21 each having two adjacent curved portions. In the lower curve of each bar 21 is a guide wheel 29 which is rotatable about shaft 28 and is provided with recesses 30, and in the upper curve/ of each bar 21 is disposed a second guide wheel 22 rotatable about shaft 3| and carrying onits periphery the segmentary portions 33 with recesses 24; A fixed guide bar is provided at 66 near each lower guide wheel 28 and a fixed bar 6: is arranged adjacent each upper guide wheel 3 Finally, a pair of rails'fl are disposed above the main steeping container 2 and the individual baskets are deposited on theserails from the last guide wheels 32 with the mouths of the vessels extending downwardly above spraying nozzles 66 of known construction and arrangement.

The mode of operation of the machine is as follows:. i

By means of an arrangement known per se and not shown in the drawings, the baskets 6 filled with bottles are introduced into the preliminary steeping container l with the upper projections 6 on each basket engaging in one of the recesses- ID in the guide wheels 9, the fixed bars ll,holding the projections 6 in the recesses it. As soon as the basket 6 arrives in the lowermost position in the steeping container, as shown, the lower projections I on the basket rest on the upwardly curved portions ii of the hired bars l2 and in the continued rotation of the guide wheels are gradually brought into engagement with thenext recesses 16 so that then-both pairs of projections 6' and I engage in recesses ill of the wheels 9. The basket now lies along the guide wheels 9 and is carried upwardly. In the upward motion the upper projections 6 encounter the fixed guide bars l4 which gradually displace them towards the next guide wheels ii. The oblique sections. 20 of the segments 11 of these guide wheels engage the projections 6 and carry them along with them, and in the further rotationthe projections vI pass into the recesses it in the segments. Pro-' to the preliminary steeping container l or is disjections ll of wheels l6 are offset inwardly toward the basket 6 as shown in Fig. 2. The projections 6 areguided on the guide bars 22 and finally pass into the large recesses 2| in these bars so that in the highest positionthe basket is suspended from the projections I with the. mouths of the bottles downwardly. In this way the liquid from the preliminary steeping container I which is in the bottles is emptied out downwardly. This liquid, however, must not pass to the main steeping container and thus is collected by an oblique wall 39 extending'beneath the baskets in this position, and the liquid is either returned charged to the outside.

In the further rotation of the guide wheels I! the projections 6 again encounter the stationary guide-bars 22 and in this way a further rotation of the basket 6 occurs so that the mouths of thebottles are again directed upwardly. The projections 6 are brought into contact with the fixed guide bars 24 and are guided downwardly between said bars and the downwardly extending portions from the guide wheels l5 and theprojections 6 are at the level of the rails '25 onto which they are advanced by means of a feed mechanism. This feeding device consists of 'a pair of hooks 42 suspended from bell crank lever 44 which. is rotatable about shaft 43. Angle lever 44 is oscillated through rod 45 from one of the gears 46. This enables the hooks 42 to engage behind the upper projections 6 of thefirst basket suspended on rail 25 and thus moves the whole row of baskets to the right to the extent of the width of one basket. The individual baskets now hang on the rails 25 by means of their projections 6 and with the mouths of the bottles upwardly and are advanced intermittently to the right until they pass over the pawls 26 to the fixed guide bars 21. At this stage the projections '6 on the basket are engaged by shoulders 29a of guide wheels 29 and are carried along thereby the projections being guided upwardly between the guide wheels 29 and the lower curves of the fixed guide bars 21. The projections I are guided by the lowermost portions 40 of thefixed bars 21 so that finally they are engaged by subsequent recesses 36. The pawls 26 are pivoted at26a to rails 25 and are free to fall downwardly and serve 'to bridge the gap between rail 25 and guide 21. When a basket is entrained by wheels 29, then projections "I pass along projections 40 of rails 21, lifting pawls 26 upwardly. The pawls 26 fall back to their former position by gravity when free, this position being shown on the drawings.

The projections 6 and subsequently the projections 1 of each basket are displaced from the recesses 66 by means of fixed bars 35. The pro-' jections 6 are engaged by the edges of the segments 33 of the upper guide wheels 32 and are guided upwardly-along the second curves of the fixed bars 21; In the upward motion the lower projections pass into engagement with the recesses 64. On the other side the guidance is effected by the fixed guide members 26. On arrival at the top the projections 6 of the basket slide downwardly along the oblique edges 4| of the guide members 26 so that the basket is'again inverted into the position in which the mouths of the bottles are directed downwardly. In this position the basket which is suspended'by the projections I in the recesses 34 is transferred to the fixed rails 21. are advanced along the rails by the action of wheels 32 pushing more baskets on the rail, and pass over the spraying nozzles 38 whereby they are given a final cleaning internally and if desired externally. The individual baskets are taken from the rails 61 and emptied and then used again for carrying further bottles during cleaning operations.

Here the individual baskets Naturally, details of the arrangement could be different from those shown in the embodiment described, the importaht feature being that by the provision of the fixed guide bars and by the 1. In a machine for cleaning vessels, a plurality 22 -of the bars 22 until the projections I rest at -'of baskets each accommodating a plurality of said the bottom on the hooked-portions of the guide vessels,'said baskets having upper and lower'pairs bar. Upto this p'oint'the noses I! prevent the of lateral projections, two pairs of rotatably basket from dropping prematurely. The two mounted adjacent basket carrying wheels, each pairs of projections 6 and I are now diseng g d 10f said pairs of wheels havingmeans for em- 76 ing both pairs of projections of the baskets, means for guiding the upper ends of the baskets from one pair of carrying wheels to the, next pair of.

carrying wheels, the baskets being so fed by action of the one pair of rotating carrying wheels onthe lower pair of projections of the baskets.-

2. In a machine for cleaning vessels, a plurality of baskets each accommodating a plurality of said vessels, said baskets having upper and lower pairs of lateral projections, a pair of juxtaposedfluid containers, two pairsof rotatablymounted basket carrying wheels, oneiof said pairs being located in each container, a pair of guide bars adjacent one ofsaid pairs of wheels for guiding the upper pair of projections of the baskets while bein I carried. along by the pair of wheels adjacent said .bars, the said bars being interrupted to allow the lower projections of the baskets to engage with the one pair of wheels, means for guiding the upper end of the baskets fromsaid one pair of carrying wheels to the other pair of wheels, the

baskets being so fed by action of the one pair of carrying wheels on the lower' projections of the baskets.

3. In a machine for cleaning vessels, a plurality of baskets each accommodating a plurality of said vessels, said baskets having upper and lower pairs of lateral projections, two pairs of rotatably mounted adjacent basket carrying wheels, each of said pairs of wheels having means for engaging projections of the baskets,'mea'ns for guiding the upper end of the baskets from one pair of carrying pair of wheels, said guide being provided with a deep recessadjacent the-upper side of the other I pair of wheels whereby the upper ends of the baskets are permitted to swing downwardly and the originally, lower end of the basket passes over the originally upper end and precedes the originally upper end in the downward movement along saidother pair of wheels, wherebythebaskets are completely rotated by the action of said other pair of carrying wheels and.'the guide therebetweeng 4. In a machine for cleaning vessels, a plurality of baskets each accommodating a plurality of said vessels, said baskets having upper and lower pairs of lateral projections, 'two pairs of rotatably mounted adjacent basket carrying wheels, means for guiding the upper end of the basketsfrom one 1 pair of carrying wheels to the other pair of wheels,

the baskets being so fed byaction of the one pair v of carrying wheels on the lower projectionsof the l V baskets, the other pair of wheels having peripheralrecesses and intermediate segmental extensions, said extensions being provided with forward surfaces for engaging the upper projections of the baskets and peripheral seats 'for-the'lower projections of the baskets, guides within the peripheries of the other wheels-for the upper pairgf basket projections. on the side of said other wheels toward the first pair of wheels, said guides being discontinuous at the top portion of the other pair of wheels, and an abutment for the upper projections of the baskets toward the side of the other pair of wheels, opposite the first pair of wheels for moving thesaid upp'er projections into engagement with the rear ends of'the segmental extensions.

5. In a machine for cleaning vessels, a plurality of baskets each accommodating a plurality of ,said vessels, said baskets having upper and lower pairs of lateralprojections, two pairs of rotatably mounted adjacent basket carrying wheels, means for guiding the upper end'of the baskets from wheels, the baskets being so fed by action of the one pair of carrying wheels on the lower projections of the baskets, the second pair of wheels having peripheral recesses and intermediate segmental extensions, said extensions being provided at the centers of their outer peripheries with seats for projections of the baskets, and the I forward and rear ends of the extensions having, abutment surfaces'for engaging the free projections of the baskets, a pair of guides within the peripheries of the second wheelsfor the upper basket projections on the side of said second pair ofwheels toward the first pair of wheels, said guides being discontinuous a t-the top portion of the second pair of wheels, and abutments for the upper projections of the baskets toward the side one pair of carrying wheels to the second pair .of

of the second pair of wheels opposite the first pair of wheels for moving the said projections into engagement with the rear ends of .the segmental extensions.

6. In a machine for cleaning vessels, 8. plurality of baskets each accommodating a plurality of said vessels, said baskets having upper and lower pairs of lateral projections, two pairsof' rotatably mounted adjacent basket carrying wheels, means for guiding the upper end of the baskets from one pair of carrying-wheels to the second pair of wheels, the baskets being so fed by action of the one pair of carrying. wheels on the lower projectionsof the baskets, the second pair of wheels having peripheral recesses and intermediate segmental extensions, said extensions being provided at the centers of their outer peabutment surfaces for engaging the upper projections of the baskets, the rearends of the extensions having abutment suriaces on rearwardly extending noses to prevent premature dislodg- .ment of the baskets from the extensions, a pair of guides within the peripheries of said second pair of wheels on the, side of said second pair of wheels toward the first pair of wheels, said guides being discontinuous at';the top portions of the second wheels, and abutments for the upper prori'pheries with seats for projections of the baskets, and the forward ends of said extensions having 'jections of the baskets toward the side of the sec 7 0nd pair of wheels opposite the first pair of wheels for moving the said projections into engagement with the rear abutment surfaces of the segmental extensions.

7. In a machine for cleaning vessels, at plurality oi" baskets each accommodating a plurality of said vessels, said: baskets having upper and lower pairs of lateral projections, a container for cleaning fluid, a pair of rails extending within the container and along which the baskets-travel, a pairofrotatably mounted transporting wheels ,I

within the container receiving baskets-from the rails, said wheels having recesses for receiving the upper basket projections, a pair of guide bars j adjacent said wheels and along which said wheels convey the upper basket projections, a secondpair of rotatably mounted transporting wheels 4 spasms above the first wheels, a pair oi iixed guides extendins partially around and spaced from the a peripheries of the second pair of wheels, another pair of guides between and-within the peripheries 5 of said second pair of wheels, ssid guides cooperating with said second pair of wheels and the basket projections to invert the baskets, a pair of rails disposed above the container and receiving the inverted beskets from the second wheels, and spraying nozzles beneath the said rails and directed upwardly to the inverted vessels. FRIEDRICH S'I'EGEMANN. 

